If you have tried traditional techniques and still cannot seem to get any better with your panic attacks you may look into ways you can control them on your own with out as much outside help (though you still need support) or intervention. Relaxation techniques are a very important step in long term self treatment, they can be done alone at home and are proven to work in reducing stress and stopping panic attacks in their tracks. Take time to at least once a day practice them and although they won’t cure all your symptoms alone, in combination with other treatments and techniques they will help you immensely in easing anxiety levels and feeling better.

The first part of relaxation techniques is deep breathing. Deep breathing techniques can be used either as a short term response to when you are about to or experiencing a panic attack or used when anxiety levels are high to help lower them. Although they cannot get rid of the stemming fears that cause the panic attacks they can treat the end result, the attacks themselves and the fear that leads to them. Simply slowly let your lungs fill with air by breasting in through your nose and letting out a long slow breath from your mouth, repeat this for a few seconds, maybe 10 or so times in a row and you will begin to notice a calming effect emerging.

Positive thinking can also be very effective during the process of recovery or preparing for an anxiety filled day, this is only however, if a person actual believes what they are telling themselves, so try to think of a true statement that you can believe before having to go into that scary situation that you dread. Something like “If I have a panic attack I can always go sit in the bathroom or my car and breath until I feel better.” verses “I will be fine and love every minute I am there.” You can repeat positive phrases as much as you like to yourself, but unless you are actually believing them, your anxiety level will remain the same.

You may also wish to work on affirmations that you are doing better in your self help, count how many panic attacks you have had this week versus last and whether they were as severe, did you have to go home or leave any activities or did you use techniques to get through them? Consider rewarding yourself for things well done and make sure to stay on track with trying new techniques and repeating the things that seem to be working.

Something else that can work with all of these self help areas are distraction techniques, very simple things like reading a book or magazine or turning on the TV can immensely help those stress levels. And literally take you mind off of having a panic attack by entertaining it with something it finds relaxing. Even when in public, things like counting all the red cars on the road or imagining everyone in there underwear, seriously, can help in distracting you enough that you can get on a new wavelength.